Greening Singapore is a special page in this blog. Here, we will be looking at how Singapore is working towards being an eco-friendly city not through the news, but through the eyes of a Singaporean citizen. If you wish to contribute to this page, you can simply do so here.

14th july 2008 : Hunting for the Stars

Woke up at 3a.m in the morning in order to catch the low tide at Changi Beach. The reason for doing so was to help out my friend with one of his project whereby he will be bringing some starfishes over to S.t John Island for research. A gratifying experience and it was actually quite fun although I had to use a torch while navigating at the shore line. Got some pics of the trip. Hope you guys like it and if you are wondering if the pics are taken in Singapore, the answer is yes. I would like to thank my friend Kok Sheng for the wonderful pics.

6th July 2008: Letter Contribution by Viewer

Well, I just received a letter contributed by a fellow viewer, Erica regarding the reclamation issue at Pulau Ubin. This letter was actually written for the Straits Times and I would like to thank Erica for her contribution. Here goes:

I’ve written this letter in hope to persuade more to support the fragile ecosystems at Chek Jawa, Pulau Ubin. The Ministry of National Development (MND) has decided to put off land reclamation works at Pulau Ubin for as long as the island is not required for development. This allows Chek Jawa to be retained in its natural state temporarily till the final decision is made in Year 2010.

If Pulau Ubin is reclaimed, not only would all the marine animals lose their habitat, students would also lose a living classroom. Many species of unique animals and plants which are currently endangered would be extinct. They are irreplaceable. Mangroves do not grow within one night. There may be unique species of crabs and plants valuable beyond imagination thriving in Chek Jawa. One example is a plant found in Chek Jawa that is currently being researched for the cure of cancer.

Furthermore, nothing can replace the experience and excitement of taking the bum boat to Ubin. The nostalgic feeling of having the first hand experience of: Singapore in 1960s is indescribable. At Pulau Ubin, I saw attap houses and kelongs which immersed me in the kampong lifestyle. This would definitely be etched in my memory. Subsequently, mangroves break waves and reduce its impact. Mangroves could protect the residents living in Pulau Ubin from waves. Pulau Ubin is reclaimed to solve the problems of land scarcity in Singapore. But the disadvantages of reclaiming Pulau Ubin outweigh the advantages. To combat the problem of land scarcity, we could build higher HDB flats and multi storey carparks underground.

Lastly, I would like to emphasize how Singapore had overseen all these precious landscapes around us, we should treasure them. If Pulau Ubin is reclaimed, the only few major nature reserves left are Bukit Timah, Sungei Buloh and Sentosa which is an artificial beach. We are fortunate to have the appropriate climate, rainfall and sunshine for a mangrove forest to thrive.

30th June 2008: Certified Guides - A Barrier to Volunteerism?

With 1600 registered volunteer guides under National Parks Boards, most guides are nature lovers or members of conservation groups who offer free tours. However, come next year, these guides will need to be certified. Having to pay more than SG$100 for the course, they may prove to be more of a stumbling block to promoting Singapore’s natural heritage. Honestly, if NParks sees a need for to ensure well trained guides, shouldn’t they provide free supplementary courses for the guides? In the end, I guess they have to weigh the importance of cost and volunteerism. Pic of me helping out at a Chek Jawa Research Project.

28th June 2008: A Visit to Hort Park

Went down to the Hort park on this very hot day. The Hort Park is a 23-hectare park and it is Southeast Asia’s first one-stop gardening and lifestyle hub. The park itself costs a whooping US$13 million to construct. Opened in May last month, it plans to attract one million visitors a year. From the Park, you can walk along bridges and walkways spanning 9-kilometre from Mount Faber to Telok Blangah Hill and Kent Ridge Park. A word of advice if you intend to take this walk - PLEASE HYDRATE YOURSELF before the walk. On top of that do wear casual and comfortable clothing.

Below are some pics that I took while I was at the Hort Park. Will be adding a map to it soon. So do stay tune.

How To Get There:

26th June 2008

Was walking around my neighbourhood near Aljunied Crescent when I spotted this new installation to the nearby carpark - A solar powered electrical signboard. A very efficient way to conserve energy while ensuring that the drivers will be able to see the parking charges at night. So I guess there will be no more excuses not to place your parking coupon anymore.